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The Xbox One revisited: Microsoft's console has gotten better with age
Engadget is re-reviewing the current generation of game consoles, starting with the Xbox One.
Zynga's new CEO was also its first
Zynga's attempt to restore its former glory by hiring an Xbox executive as its leader hasn't exactly panned out. The game developer has announced that CEO Don Mattrick is leaving, effective immediately, with founder Mark Pincus once again taking the reins. It's not clear what prompted the sudden exit, but Pincus swears to the New York Times that Mattrick isn't getting the boot. Reportedly, the two agreed that it was a time for the changing of the guard.
Zynga's new CEO reportedly discussed buying the company while still at Microsoft
Don Mattrick might still be arranging his desk stationery and getting his nameplate fitted on his new office door, but the former Microsoft Studios boss was apparently eyeing up Zynga for at least three years prior. According to Bloomberg, Mattrick discussed the idea of buying the company with founder Mark Pincus, bringing Zynga's social games (and hopefully some of its millions of users) to Microsoft's Xbox. People "with knowledge of the matter" say that talks eventually broke down, which is probably why you don't see Farmville taking up acres within Xbox Live. At least, not yet.
Mattrick's exit from Microsoft reportedly due to impending executive shuffle
So what's next for Microsoft after the sudden departure of former Xbox chief Don Mattrick to lead Zynga? The move is reportedly related to an executive restructuring that will be announced soon, directed by CEO Steve Ballmer as part of a shift in strategy towards devices and services. Bloomberg sources suggest detailed plans of at least one possible version of the future, putting current Windows leader Julie Larson-Green at the head of hardware engineering for the company. That shift would also give Windows Phone corporate VP Terry Myerson more control over the Windows OS across platforms, and Skype president Tony Bates the lead in acquisitions and developer relations. The report claims Mattrick was a contender for the hardware post before he left, while an earlier Fast Company article tied his exit directly to not receiving an expanded role once all the new seats are filled. The Wall Street Journal has its own speculation over who may take over all things Xbox -- Marc Whitten,Yusuf Mehdi and Nancy Whitten are all name dropped -- but if the rumors are true we could find out who is leading this new direction for Microsoft as soon as next week.
Ex-Xbox chief Don Mattrick lands at Zynga, officially (update: comments from Ballmer and Mattrick)
We just got the news that ex-head of Xbox, Don Mattrick, was out at Microsoft, and now we know where he's going: Zynga. AllThingsD reports that Mattrick is officially the new CEO of the casual social gaming firm, and Mark Pincus, the current CEO, is stepping down from that position to make room for Mattrick's arrival. Fear not for Pincus, however, as the founder of Zynga will maintain a role at the company as chairman and chief product officer. Naturally, Zynga's thrilled with the hire, though we're still awaiting word from Redmond on the matter. You can get Pincus' take on Mattrick at the source below. Update: Steve Ballmer has posted a memo about Mattrick's departure, calling it "a great opportunity for Don" and thanking him for his hard work at Microsoft. Update 2: AllThingsD has Mattrick's first letter to Zynga's employees, in which he states the "mission to connect the world through games is just getting started."
ATD: Microsoft Xbox head Don Mattrick leaving for unknown role (updated)
The president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, is leaving the company according to a report at AllThingsD. His division oversees the Xbox gaming properties as well as the company's peripheral gaming initiatives. He's most recently known as the man who introduced the world to the Xbox One, as he took the stage on Microsoft's campus this past May to introduce the controller, next-gen Kinect sensor, and new console. He's been with the IEB department since 2010. He's gotten in trouble with consumers lately, after he gave dismissive answers about the Xbox One's always online policy and $499 price point. He's also the man who wrote Microsoft's public DRM reversal letter. Furthermore, ATD says Mattrick could be headed to social gaming giant Zynga; the Bay Area-based company declined a comment to our sister site Joystiq. It's unclear who would step in to Mattrick's spot if he is indeed leaving. We've yet to hear back from Microsoft, though we'll update this post when we hear more. Update: It's offical. He's the new CEO of Zynga, and you can read all about it right here.
Microsoft reverses Xbox One DRM policy, kills required online check-in and used game complications (updated)
Microsoft's next game console, the Xbox One, is perhaps best known for its complex used game system and once-per-24-hour online check-in requirement. Today, Microsoft is rolling back those policies, and the company took to its Xbox blog to explain. "I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360," Xbox head Don Mattrick writes. He then states: "An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360. Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360." Mattrick further explains that this is a direct response to gamer outcry. "Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One," he says. Further, he confirms that Xbox One games will be region-free, and that disc-based games will have to be kept in the disc tray rather than ripped to the console and played digitally (a previously touted Xbox One feature). Though the One's down a couple features -- Mattrick specifically says, "These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One" -- it sounds like gamers won this round.
Xbox chief: we have a product for people who can't get online, it's called Xbox 360
Did you think the Xbox 360 was being kept around just for the budget market? It turns out Microsoft's got another sort of customer in mind for the revamped last-gen hardware: the crews of nuclear submarines. Xbox chief Don Mattrick, in response to the backlash over the Xbox One requiring an internet connection, said that "fortunately, we have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity, it's called Xbox 360." As an example, he referred to a crew member on a nuclear submarine, who would be better off with the 360, as it's an "offline device." The full quotes are after the break, along with the video -- oh, and Sony's message to submarine crews too.
Microsoft's Don Mattrick talks Xbox One, calls backwards compatibility backwards
One of the more controversial bits of news to come out of yesterday's Xbox One reveal was the discovery that the newly christened console would not be able to play Xbox 360 games. Backwards compatibility has been a sore subject for some gamers but Microsoft's Don Mattrick says the company is looking forward, not back. "If you're backwards compatible," he told The Wall Street Journal, "you're really backwards." While the news was met with some chagrin, it's not terribly surprising. The Xbox One's architecture -- equipped with a new x86 CPU -- prevents it from being able to run games designed for the 360's eight year old Xenon processor. Additionally, Mattrick claims that players making use of backwards compatibility were a negligible percentage of their consumer base. While Mattrick's words are sure to stick in more than one craw, they reflect the reality of the market. With Nintendo struggling to juggle Wii games on the Wii U and Sony's Playstation 4 abandoning current gen PSN games, it looks like backwards compatibility is a thing of the past.
Microsoft names three new division presidents following recent departures
As you may have noticed, Microsoft has seen a few pretty significant executive shakeups as of late, with Robbie Bach and J Allard announcing their departures back in May, and Steven Elop leaving just last month to take the top job at Nokia. Now Microsoft has officially filled in some of those gaps, naming Kurt DelBene as president of its Microsoft Office Division, and Andy Lees and Don Mattrick as presidents of its Mobile Communications Business and Interactive Entertainment Business, respectively -- Windows Phone and Xbox, in other words. All three divisions are actually new (at least in name), but DelBene is effectively succeeding Elop, who led Microsoft's Business Division, while Mattrick and Lees are more or less splitting up Robbie Bach's former duties as head of the now dissolved Entertainment and Devices division. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Microsoft settling in for second place?
OK, fanboys, before you hit that spittle-flecked "post comment" button after just reading that inflammatory headline question, hear us out. We're not just idly speculating here -- we're basing our query on an unusually frank quote from Microsoft Senior Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Mattrick said that he's "not at a point where I can say we're going to beat Nintendo." Coming from a guy whose job it is to promote Microsoft's position in the market, that's a pretty big admission of doubt. It's not just Mattrick that's doubtful-- analyst Billy Pidgeon told the magazine, "I expect the 360 to remain in second place this generation. But it's going to be close."The question, then, becomes how much this sales position really matters. Microsoft's sales might fall just shy of Nintendo's, but that doesn't seem to be hurting the company's ability to attract big-name games or roll out new features for the system. In fact, with Nintendo's decidedly less powerful system catering to a decidedly different audience, Microsoft's position relative to Nintendo might not matter nearly as much as their position relative to Sony. And on that score Mattrick has no doubt: "We will sell more consoles this generation than Sony," he told BusinessWeek.
MS creates new position for former EA exec
Microsoft announced today that it has hired John Schappert, former executive vice president of Electronic Arts, as the corporate vice president of LIVE, software and services, a newly created position. In this new role, Schappert will oversee Xbox LIVE, Games for Windows LIVE, XNA, and Microsoft Casual Games. Schappert will report directly to the new senior vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, Don Mattrick (also formerly of EA). Mattrick is reportedly "thrilled" to have Schappert aboard, and notes that Schappert will help Microsoft "focus on expanding and enriching our market leadership with LIVE in areas like online services while broadening our audience." What exactly Schappert's role entails, we're not quite sure, but we imagine we'll be hearing more from him soon. In the meantime, we have to wonder how many more executives Microsoft will be plucking from the ranks of Electronic Arts.
Robbie Bach and Don Mattrick talk to Joystiq about Peter Moore's departure
We had a chance to speak with Microsoft's President of the Entertainment & Devices Division, Robbie Bach, as well as Don Mattrick, the new Peter Moore, about Peter Moore's departure, which was announced earlier today. First, when asked how important one person is, and whether gamers should care about Moore's resignation, Bach responded that there is a group of gamers that track the industry and track its personalities, and that these gamers would care about the decision (that's you guys, if you're reading along at home). Bach suggested that, in the near term, Moore's departure will have "basically no effect. Halo 3 is still Halo 3, and Don's not changing that. Peter wasn't changing that." However, if you look out two to three years, "a leader does have an impact." For example, Peter was "uniquely good at understanding the importance of communication." Bach described him as a "consummate speaker, marketer, and evangelist" for their product who did a "great job with gamers, the press and analyst community, and retail partners."Alright, so we all know who Peter Moore is, but what about Don Mattrick? Bach said Mattrick will obviously be the new "public face" of their business, though his core talents are different from Moore's. Where Moore was focused on the marketing and strategy side, Mattrick will be focused more on their core product. So, while there was some overlap between Peter and Robbie, Bach feels that he and Don will work in slightly different ways. Of course, Don has been working as a "strategic adviser" for the Entertainment & Devices division since February after leaving EA in 2005. So, was this a groomed succession or serendipity?
Peter Moore resigns from Microsoft, replaced by Don Mattrick [update 1]
Microsoft has announced that Peter Moore, Vice President of their Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, has resigned from the company. Moore has decided to move his family back to California for "personal reasons" and has secured a new position in the games industry (rumored by 1UP to be EA Sports). He is to be replaced by former EA head, Don Mattrick, who joined Microsoft in February as a "strategic advisor." Mattrick will assume his new role at Microsoft beginning July 30.Joystiq has a call scheduled with Microsoft later today. Keep your eye on their front page for more updates as they become available. Update: Major Nelson has confirmed that Peter Moore will become the new president of EA's sports division.
Peter Moore resigns from Microsoft, replaced by Don Mattrick
Microsoft has announced the resignation of Peter Moore, current corporate vice president of the company's Interactive Entertainment Business. Moore will be replaced by former EA president Don Mattrick, who will become senior vice president of IEB on July 30. Mattrick joined Microsoft in February as a "strategic adviser."Moore will remain with Microsoft through August, and then will return to his old stomping grounds in Northern California to begin a new, unspecified job in the games industry. Earlier today, 1UP cited a rumor that Moore was headed to EA Sports.Update: The rumor has been confirmed. Moore will leave Microsoft in order to return his family to the Bay Area and head EA Sports.Joystiq has a scheduled call with Microsoft later today. We'll bring you updates as they become available. Details here: Robbie Bach & Don Mattrick talk to Joystiq
Moore: motion control on 360?
Speaking to Game Informer, Don Mattrick and Peter Moore discuss the future of the Xbox 360. Specifically, Moore discusses the great stable of games heading to the platform -- Mass Effect, Forza 2, Too Human, etc. -- and how Microsoft plans to combat the tiny white elephant in the room, the Wii. According to Moore, Microsoft began to see the significance of the casual market when the Wii was still known as Revolution. Moore states that Microsoft's strategy is more than simply throwing more E rated games onto the 360, saying "it's more experiential than that." This quickly leads to the speculation that Microsoft may have a motion controller of its own in mind. At this point it remains pure speculation. After all, Mr. Moore could easily be talking about more games involving the Vision Camera. Whatever it is, Moore states that there will be announcements within the next couple of months. With any luck, we might just hear something during GDC next week.Do you think Microsoft has a Wiimote up its sleeve, or is it something entirely different?[Via Evil Avatar]
Former EA head joins Microsoft
Sooner or later, everyone winds up working together. It should come as no surprise then, that former head of Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios, Don Mattrick, is joining Microsoft as a "strategic adviser" to the Entertainment and Devices division. The Entertainment and Devices group houses the Xbox 360 as well as the Zune. Peter Moore was ecstatic about the announcement, claiming that he had been looking forward to working with Mattrick since he left EA in 2006. Moore -- once the head of SEGA during the Dreamcast era -- claims that there is no bad blood between himself and Mattrick. Game history buffs will remember that EA refused to support the Dreamcast, has a long rivalry with SEGA sports, and was hesitant to allow its games on Xbox Live (seems they can't get enough of it now). Moore is happy to welcome Mattick, though he admits some disdain for EA CEO, Larry Probst.Exactly what Mattrick will be doing seems unclear though it seems he will be heavily involved in developing concepts like Xbox Live. Mattrick admits that online gaming is the biggest trend in the industry and he hopes to push Microsoft to the top of that arena.[Via Joystiq]
Former EA prez joins Microsoft as strategic adviser
Former president of Electronic Arts Worldwide Don Mattrick has joined Microsoft as a strategic adviser for the Entertainment and Devices group. Details of Mattrick's new duties are vague, but Peter Moore has compared his arrival to a baseball superstar signing with the Yankees. Meaning he'll choke come playoffs?Moore insists that there's no bad blood between him and Mattrick that might stem from "long-ago" tensions with EA -- not that Moore wouldn't consider goin' a few rounds with EA CEO Larry Probst. While with Sega, Moore battled through EA's refusal to support Dreamcast, and then a bitter rivalry between Sega Sports and EA Sports; and more recently, EA's stubbornness with regard to Xbox Live. But apparently, Mattrick and Moore have been exploring opportunities to work together ever since Mattrick departed EA.Mattrick did so in the fall of 2005; ending his obligations to EA in February 2006. In the interim, Mattrick focused on family and friends -- and fitness. While most excited about contributing to Xbox Live's growth, Mattrick will extend his advice beyond games, reaching out to J Allard and the Zune crew.
